Fountain-pen



"lJNIraDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. METTEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HORACE BALDIIN, OF PAINESVILLE, OHIO.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,732, dated October 9, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE RUDOLPH MET- TEN, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Atmospheric Fountain-Pens; and I do hereby declare the followingr to be a full and exact description thereof, sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art to make and practice my invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming apar'tof this myspeciicatiomin which drawings- Figure 1 shows an elevation of my improved pen; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section, indicating the parts at rest when the pen is not in use; and Fig. 3, a like central section, with the pen actuated as ifin use and in the act of admitting air into the ink-tube.

In the drawings, A indicates the body of the pen in main portion A', being hollow and forming an ink-tube for the supply of the pen g in the act of writing. This tube, which also forms the handle of the pen, is supplied with ink by unscrewing the stopper B from th@ upper end of the implement. rlhis stopper is perforated, as indicated at q, for the admission of air at such times as may be required in the act of using the pen, the construction of the several parts being such that the manipulation ofthe pen in the act of writing will cause the air to enter the ink-fountain A', and thus enable the ink to iiow freely from the ink-tube into and through the supply-tube t' at the lower end of the pen, as shown in the figures.

As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the lower end of the main portion A of the pen is made with a tubular recess, d, at the bottom ot' which a disk, c, snugly iitting therein, but sufficiently loose to work freely, is hinged, as atf, to said main portion A. This disk is constructed with pen-clasps e e', between which the pen g is thrust and held in place in the ordinary manner of this class of implements. The lower part or edge of this disk c is perforated to receive, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, a metal rod, 7c, which extends through the solid portion A" of the main portion A, such solid part being of suflicient length to afford a proper bearing and give steadiness and direction to the movements of the rod during its articulations. This rod 7c is shouldered, as at l, be-

tween which and a slight conical-formed projcction, m, of the solid portion A" a rubber cushion or spring, a, is confined; and at its upper end it is constructed so as to receive and holdin place an aircushion, n', which entirely closes oft' or excludes the air from the tube A' when the pen is not in use or at rest, as represented in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3, as before stated, the pen is represented in t-he act of writing, with the part g pressed upon the paper, which act causes the disk c to be drawn away from its position as shown in Fig. 2 to its position as seen in Fig. 3, thereby drawing out the rod k through the solid portion A", and thus compressing the india-rubber spring n at the same time that it withdraws the cushion a from contact with the vent q, by which acts or operation the air enters the ink-tube and the ink freely iows through the tube t' to the point, or nearly to the point, of the pen g. The pressure of the operator being withdrawn from the part g, the spring it, from being compressed, as shown in Fig. 3, will instantly become expanded, as in Fig. 2, thereby closin g the vent q, and at the same time causing a return of the disk c to its position as shown in last-named figure.

It will thus be seen that in the act of writing a greater or less flow of the ink will take place for the supply of the part g, according to the pressure and continuance thereof upon the part g, so that for a heavy stroke of the pen a greater amount otink will be supplied than will be for a hair-stroke, the point t" of the ink-tube i during such acts being more or less withdrawn from contact with the part g, and thereby allowing more or less ink to flow from the main reservoir A', at the same time that more or less air is permitted to enter through the vent q, to supply the place of the ink discharged.

For the protection of the writing end of the pen a tubular cap may be used in the ordinary manner of protecting parts liable to derangement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In atmospheric fountain-pens, causing an automatic iiow of ink by reason of the act of writing, substantially as described.

2. In atmospheric fountain-pens, supplying,` the place of the ink discharged from the inkreservoir with air during and by reason of the act of Writing, substantially as described.

3. So constructing a fountain-pen that the act of writing` will open and close a vent-hole for the admission of air into the ink-reservoir, substantially as described.

4. So constructing` a fountain-pen that the amount of ink discharged from the ink-reser- Voir and the amount of air admitted therein shall be in proportion to the stroke of the pen, Whether light or heavy, substantially as described.

5. Attaching the pen gto an oscillating or hinged disk, c, substantially as and for the pur- GEORGE RUDOLPH METTEN.

, Witnesses:

R. T. CAMPBELL, HENRY SYLVESTER. 

